Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Ascend (anabainonta). Present active participle of anabainw, "ascending," "going up," picturing the process.
From the sun-rising (apo anatolhv hliou). Same phrase in Revelation 16:12. From the east, though why is not told. Swete suggests it is because Palestine is east of Patmos. The plural apo anatolwn occurs in Matthew 2:1 without hliou (sun).
The seal of the living God (sfragida qeou zwntov). Here the signet ring, like that used by an Oriental monarch, to give validity to the official documents. The use of zwntov with qeou accents the eternal life of God (Revelation 1:18; Revelation 10:6; Revelation 15:7) as opposed to the ephemeral pagan gods.
To whom it was given (oiv edoqh autoiv). For edoqh see on Revelation 6:2, Revelation 6:4, etc. The repetition of autoiv in addition to oiv (both dative) is a redundant Hebraism (in vernacular Koin‚ to some extent) often in the Apocalypse (Revelation 3:8). The angels are here identified with the winds as the angels of the churches with the churches (Revelation 1:20).
To hurt (adikhsai). First aorist active infinitive of adikew, subject of edoqh, common use of adikew in this sense of to hurt in the Apocalypse (Revelation 2:11; Revelation 6:6 already), in Luke 10:19 also. The injury is to come by letting loose the winds, not by withholding them.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Revelation 7:2:
Romans 4:11
Revelation 2:11
Revelation 5:1
Revelation 5:2
Revelation 7:1
Revelation 7:10
Revelation 8:7
Revelation 9:1
Revelation 10:2
Revelation 11:3
Revelation 14:6
Revelation 16:1
Revelation 21:12
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